Distributer for electric ignition systems.



W. L. MARR. DISTRIBUTER FOR ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEMS. APPLIOA'I'IOH FILED 111111.27, 1908.

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WITNESSES: 1 IN VEN TOR 6 .Jzn WALTER L. MARR I A 9% 4 ML'V & I l

A TTORNE Y5 W. L. MARR. DISTRIBUTER FOR ELEOTRIG IGNITION SYSTEMS.

APPLIOATIOI FILED AUG. 27, 190B.

Patented June 20, 1911.

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IN VEN TOR WALTER L. MARR WITNESSES \I STATES PATENT orr cn.

wAL'rEB. Li MARE, or FLINT, mrcmean.

To all wlwm -it may concern: I 7

Be it kilown that I, WALTER L. -M\ARR', a citizen'of;t he United States of America, residing at Flint, in'the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Distributers for ElectricIgnition Systems,'of which the following is a specification, reference drawings. 7 r I This invention relates to a distributer for an electric. ignition system of an internal combustion motor, whereby a single induc y'tion coil jmay be used for a inulti-cylinder motor, and wherebythe self inductive effect caused by breaking the secondary circuit-is taken advantage of to produce a-spark of high calorificv power, thereby insuring firing of the motor charges as desired.' 1

, inafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aview in longitudinal section of a distributer eingram showing wiring connections with the for, operating the moving parts by connec* tion with a cam shaft or the like being the plane of section of thedistributer itself. Fig. 2 is a view insection on or: about line wm of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in sect-ion of a circuit breaker. Fig. 4 is a view in end removed. Fig. 5 is ,a side view in detail of a' safety-ratchet disk. Fig. 6 an end elevja:

-tion thereof. 7 r g r Referring to the'drawings, a substantially cylindricalcasing 1 has a longitudinal hollow rib or lug 2, in, which insulators 3 of.

suitable material and design are secured at regular intervals, one'being provided for each cylindenof the motor for which the distributer is adapted. Electrodes 4 extend longitudinally through the -insulators, and binding. or connecting means 5 are provided on the outer ends. A cylindricalshell 6 of insulating material, with apertures through Specification of Letters ratent.

being had therein to the accompanying The invention consists in the matters herebodying features ofthe invention, with 'diashown in section on "a plane, at an angle to elevation of the circuit breaker with casing ms'rmnu'rnr. mm ELECTRIC, IGNITION SYSTEMS.

which the lower ends of the electrodes 4 pro- .ject, is removably secured in the casing,;

J x V 1 v 1 Patented June 20, 1911. Applicatiomfiled August 27,1908; Serial No. 450,502.

preferably by a detachable end plate 8. An

insulated binding post 9 with yielding or. spring-projected terminal 10 in its inner.

end, is secured in a hollow lug v11 of the insulators 3 and between twoof them. wire 12 leads from each insulator 3 to a spark plug 13 in, a cylinder ofrt-he engine,

and awire from the binding post leads to a secondary coil in the circuit.

A distributer shaft 14 is rotatably mounted in the casing in insulated relation thereto. Preferably the ends of the shaft are slightly enlarged and counterbored, and

pinion as a whole through the bearing. T he distributer shaft has a contact disk 23 formed or secured thereon, whose periphery has slidingcontact with the yielding terminal 10. Asegmental disk '24 is-likewise formed on or secured to l the shaft opposite each insulator terminal 4 so that the peripheries periodically" pass a short distance therefrom, and form a suitable spark.

interval. The segmentsare disposed around the shaft-in proper angular relation to correspond to the timing of the engine cylinders, and preferably overlap slightly.

A suitablydesigned housing 25 is secured to the casing over the follower pinion 22, preferably by a flange 26 telescoping over a caslng, preferably diametrically opposite the 1 hearing boss 27' in which the pinion is journaled, a removable cover plate 28 ,permitting inspection. of theparts.

A tubular bearing bracket 29 in which the end 30 ofthe motor cam shaft is journaled parallel to the distributer shaft, is secured tojthe housing 25 preferably by .a hollow bearing sleeve 31 telescoping with a boss 32 to permit its removal through the shaft bearsecured in a reduced portion 34 of the cam shaft, and of less diameter'th'an the shaft mg, is in mesh with an intermediate pinion 35 on a hub 36 journaled in the bracket sleeve 31 and interlocking at its end with the hub 37 of 'a pinio'n38 meshing with the follower pinion 22, the abutting ends of the hubs being preferably squared and halved together, and a screw 39 passing axlally through one into engagement with-the other holding them in place. v i

A timer casing 40 is secured on the bearing boss on the main casing;-a ratchet wheel 41 having teeth correspondingin number to the segments of the distributer shaft, is ournaled in the end to the stub shaft- 19 withm the timer casing, and is locked to turn therewith by "a spring disk 42 secured against the end of the shaft by a screw, the

wheel having teeth 43 which engagea pin 44 on the disk when turned in proper direction against it, but are dished or beveled so as to ride up on and over the pinwhen themotion is reversed.

A lever 45 pivoted in the casing 40 to vibrate in the plane of the ratchet wheel 41, on a stud 46 to whose outer end one of the battery wires 61 may be secured by a binding nut 47,-has a tooth 48 held against the ratchet wheel by a suitably disposed spring 49. A flexible arm 50 secured at one endon the lever by a nut 51 or like means and limited in its outward movement by the inturned end 52 of the lever against which it is projected by a spring finger 53, carries a contact point 54 which is pressed by the outward movement of the lever against an adjustable terminal 55 held by a clamping screw 56 in the split head 57 terminating a binding post 58 that is secured in the cover 59 of the timer and may be connected to the other lead of the primary circuit. A handle 60 permits the angular adjustment of the timer for obtaining desired lead of the spark, in the usual manner. e

The distributer may be-arranged for an number of motor cylinders by proper disposition of the segments.

In operation, the primary circuit is closed at regular intervals by the timer ratchet wheel and. lever, and sharply broken, all during the time one of the selector shaft segments is passing close to an insulator terof the secondary current through the regular interrupter and coil of standard type,

there is the self-induction efiect due to the momentary retardation at the gap in the distributer. This insures a spark at the ping of high calorific efiect, and a consequent certainty of firing the motor charge.

Another feature of the invention is the arinsulated relation thereto, a

pass the pin when the,shaft the opposite direction,- a casing anglr rangement of the parts so that the mechanism is readily inspected, or taken down and reassembled when necessary.

Obviously, changes in the detailsvof conradially through apertures into the shell, an

insulated distributer shaft journaled in the casing concentric'with the shell, radial segmental arms 'on the shaft each adapted to swing into register with the end of a stationary terminal, a disk secured on the shaft,

an insulated terminal ofalimb of the secondary circuit of thesystem secured in the casing in yielding contact with the disk periphery, a timer on the casing adapted to pcriodically close the primary circuit of the system in synchronism with the successive registrations of the segments with the stationary terminals, means operatively connecting the timer with the distributer shaft adapted to release the timer when the motor reverses, and means operatively connecting the distributer shaft with the motor adapted to rotate the shaft in timed relation to the motor.

2. A distributer for an internal combustlon motor having ail-electric ignition system having a prlmary and secondary cir curt comprising a substantially cylindrical casing, a shell of insulating material secured in the cylinder, insulated terminals each electrically connected to a sparking terminal of the motor secured in the casing wall with their inner ends extending radially through apertures into the shell, an insulated distributer shaft journaled in the casin concentric with the shell, radial segmenta arms on the shaft each adapted to swing into register with the end of a stationary terminal, a disk secured on the shaft, an insulated terminal of one limb of the secondary circuit of the system secured in the casingin yielding contact with the disk periphery,

v a stub shaft journaled in the casing end and rigidly coupled to the distributer shaft in disk journaled disk, a ratchet shaft having teeth on the stub-shaft, a pin on the wheel secured on the adapted to. lock with shaft "is turning in one direction and to is rotating in the pin when the,

larlj' adjustable on the directing, meansedto enga the lixed point when the lever 6 about the ratchet whee1,' a lever osis oscillate ,and means operatively connect "'c'illatory in the casing in the plane of, theing the directing means and motor.

ratchet wheel, a. tooth thereon; a spring In testimony'whereofl aflix my signature adapted to hold the tooth yieldingly against in presence of two witnesses.

, pointin the casing connected to a limb of Witnesses:

the ratchet; an insulated stationary contact WALTEItL. MARE.

' -A.,H.G0ss," Q r l v the primal circuit of the system, a contact I D. Hum.

point yielding'ly mounted on the lever adapt: 

